The shooting of the bowhunter that got hit in the face and things I learned at a recent family event on the opening day of the bow season got me to thinking about shooting incident while hunting. When was the first shooting incident by a hunter? Turns out it was in 381 years ago to the month. In Sept. of 1630 one of the original mayflower passengers (John Billington) shot John Newcomin for stealing from his traps. Billington was a hunter/trapper providing food for the pilgrims while Newcomin seemed more interested in his own personal take rather than a communal harvest for the pilgrims. Some accounts list it as a dispute over hunting rights. Billington is said to have chased Newcomin and shot at him as Newcomin hid behind a tree, striking Necomin in the shoulder with a shot from his blunderbuss. Newcomin neglected his wound and later died from gangrene. On Sept. 30th 1630, (almost exactly 381 years to this day), Billington was tried and hung although accounts state the Judge was also the executioners and was a person with a grudge against Billington so accounts as to the fairness of the trial are in question. At any rate, Billington was the first person executed in the new world.

John the elder had a son also named John who seems best known for getting lost in the woods near the Plymouth Colony only to be found by Squanto. Squanto gained historical notoriety for befriending the pilgrims and teaching them how to grow crops, hunt, keep warm and fish for food which helped them survive their first winter at the Plymouth Colony. Squanto was present for the first Thanksgiving. Squanto befriended John Billington the younger after finding him lost in the woods and taught him woodsmanship. Books and poems were written about John the younger and Squanto.

As part of this family reunion/gathering I attended on the opening weekend of bowhunting, we talked about this event as well as the lineage of John Billington. A keeper of the Billington lineage documents was on hand with the paperwork that has been handed down over the generations of the Billington descendants.

John Billington (Mayflower passenger, signer of Mayflower Compact) Born 1580

Begat 2 sons: Francis and John Billington (Mayflower passengers)

Begat: Joseph Billinton

Begat: Joseph Billinton

Begat: Joseph Billinton

Begat: James Billinton

Begat: John Billinton

Begat: George Billinton

Begat: Lorenzo Billinton

Begat: Eugene Clinton Billinton

Begat: George English Billington

Begat: Wanda Billington (Wanda married George Schuster and lived in Milw. WI later to move to Central WI near Galloway)

My wife's passion is geneolgy. It's a treasure hunt, and a history lesson in one. We sometimes find family bibles or indenturement papers or emancipation papers, when we are looking at antiques or fleamarkets. if we can purchase it we do, if not, we will note down what it is and where it is, and try to contact the families involved, and see if they want it back. maybe 1 in 4 want what we found, but the donations, and the thankyous, usually cover our costs. Finding the right family is HER challenge! but so far, her average is pretty good.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.